The technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to provide the propulsion machinery for a new purse seine fishing trawler ordered by Strand Senior AS, a subsidiary of Strand Havfiske AS based in Norway. The vessel will be built at the Karstensen Skibsvǣrft shipyard in Denmark. The Wärtsilä order was booked in March 2017.

In specifying that an innovative and highly efficient vessel was required, the owners specifically emphasised that the propulsion system should be centred on the Wärtsilä 31 engine. Guinness World Records has listed the Wärtsilä 31 as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. The best-in-class fuel efficiency of this engine means also that the exhaust emissions are correspondingly minimised.

Wärtsilä will also supply a 2-speed gearbox, controllable pitch propellers, the HP-Nozzle, shaft generator, and the Wärtsilä’s ProTouch control system. The Wärtsilä 2-speed gear solution provides additional fuel savings by enabling the propeller to be operated at low speed when maximum vessel speed or thrust is not required. It also results in reduced noise levels, which is important both for crew comfort and because the level of underwater radiated noise affects the efficiency of the fishing activities.

“The Wärtsilä 31 engine is becoming a popular choice for vessels where operational efficiency is a key requirement. Already a number of new fishing vessels have specified the Wärtsilä 31 and we expect this trend to be increasingly emphasised over the coming years,” says Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Engines, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

“We wanted to build a new vessel that represents the future. For this reason we have emphasised high efficiency and environmental sustainability, and Wärtsilä was the obvious choice to meet these aims,” says Janne-Grethe Strand Aasnæs, Managing Director, Strand Havfiske AS.

When delivered in early 2019, the 75 metre long trawler will carry out commercial fishing operations, combining trawling and purse seining. The trawl fishing will be carried out mostly along the west coast of Ireland. Wärtsilä has earlier supplied propulsion solutions for other vessels in the Strand Senior fleet.

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Caption: The new fishing trawler for Strand Senior AS will be equipped with Wärtsilä propulsion centred around the Wärtsilä 31 engine, which is the most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine in the world.

Wärtsilä in brief:Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2016, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.www.wartsila.com

About Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.